The Air Force has inactivated the 766th Air Expeditionary Squadron in Afghanistan. This unit had operated from Sharana Forward Operating Base and was responsible for airmen serving in joint expeditionary taskings and on individual augmentee deployments at 58 FOBs and combat outposts throughout NATO’s eastern region of Afghanistan. The 966th AES at Bagram Airfield will now administratively and operationally handle these airmen. With the change, which took effect on March 23, the 966th AES becomes Bagram’s largest squadron. It now oversees more than 2,700 JET and IA airmen at more than 153 separate locations throughout eastern and northern Afghanistan. (Bagram report by TSgt. Michael Voss)
Navy Adm. Samuel J. Paparo Jr. assumed leadership of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, succeeding Navy Adm. John Aquilino at a change of command ceremony, urging action amid China's “increasing intrusive and expansionist claims,” on May 3